Police, educators learn to interact with autistic citizens

     PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — A training session sponsored by the Aroostook Autism Support group provided attendees with much-needed instruction on how to deal with individuals with autism or Asperger’s in emergency situations.
Matt Brown, a U.S. probation officer and autism information specialist with the Autism Society of Maine — whose teenage son is on the autism spectrum — served as instructor. He’s the founder of the Law Enforcement Program and has been educating first responders about autism for over 10 years. Brown educates all police cadets at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy about how to appropriately interact with individuals with autism.
Two sessions were held on June 26 at UMPI’s Campus Center, with about 100 attending the 9 a.m. class, while more than 50 attended the 1 p.m. session.
Brown, who also has an autistic brother, knows first-hand how difficult it is dealing with an autistic person, let alone when they are in “meltdown.” A meltdown is when the individual becomes overwhelmed and begins to shut down — signs of which include hand flapping, banging their head against something or hollering.
“I’m excited to be here and am hoping you’ll take the information (from today) and create a safety program. Autism and Asperger’s are spectrum disorders; each individual is unique from each other. Severity depends on abilities,” he said.
He said under certain circumstances, these individuals can become a hazard to themselves and others.
“When they’re frustrated or upset, they can create safety issues. They often deal with these circumstances by becoming aggressive. My goal today is to walk away from the meeting knowing you’ll go forward and implement the safety procedures you learn throughout your community,” said Brown.
While the majority of those attending the training were either teachers, social workers or law enforcement officials, Brown said the training is applicable to any profession.
“Employees at malls, restaurants, amusement parks and elsewhere have no training but those are areas where meltdowns can occur. We need to think about educating the community and businesses as a whole,” he said.
Brown explained that meltdowns often occur when an individual on the spectrum feels overwhelmed. This can occur when they’re in large crowds, such as at a store, or when there are loud noises, such as at a fair, concert or fireworks display.
“Don’t interrupt them unless it’s self-injurious. They’ll eventually calm down and can be dealt with then,” he said.
He said individuals also often suffer from sensory issues, unable to eat certain foods because of the food’s texture or wear certain clothes because of the feel of the material against their skin.
“This is something you really want to know when interacting, that this is an issue. Assume there is an issue, if you don’t know otherwise,” said Brown.
He said individuals often don’t like to be touched. Rather than putting an arm around someone to comfort them, Brown recommended asking the person permission first — don’t assume it’s OK.
“This is especially important for medical personnel and EMTs. Announce you need to touch them and allow them time to process the request,” Brown said.
He said police also need to re-think procedures, when dealing with people on the spectrum.
“One of the first things police are taught is that if a person looks away when questioned, they’re being deceptive. But for someone on the spectrum, they look away to process the question you’ve asked; they want to make sure they give you the correct answer,” he said.
When posing questions, he advised using direct language rather than open-ended inquiries.
“Be as specific as possible, using questions that can be answered ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ If you’re a medical professional and want to know what the person had for breakfast, don’t ask them ‘what did you eat today.’ Be specific and ask ‘what did you eat for breakfast.’ Or if you’re an officer questioning them at a crime scene, don’t ask where they were ‘earlier,’ give a specific time,” said Brown. “Be as direct as possible. They take things very literally.”
One of the biggest safety concerns, Brown said, is when these individuals wander off. He said a questionnaire is now being used by Maine State Police and other agencies to gather information to create a database, in the event a person wanders off. A parent or guardian can fill out the form, which asks for such information as whether the person has sensory issues, have they wandered before and, if they have, where did they go.
“In a majority of the wandering cases, individuals were found near water. In the wandering cases that involved death, most of those involved drowning. It’s best to assume they could wander and have a plan in place. Every minute is life-or-death in those situations. Anyone on the spectrum could wander at any time,” said Brown, noting that it’s often too difficult for loved ones to give much-needed information when the person is missing, since stress prevents a parent or guardian from focusing. Providing information in advance can speed up the search process.
“I looked at a map of the area and found that Pine Street Elementary School is an area of concern, with access to woods, a stream, a lake and Route 1,” said Brown, noting school staffs should obtain safety training, so in the event of an emergency they can immediately take action, rather than wait for firefighters and police to arrive.
Brown said such individuals are often the victims of bullying and sexual assault. He said the majority of victims know the perpetrators; victims also don’t recognize they’re in danger in such situations.
“There are also barriers in reporting a crime, because they’re trying to process what occurred,” he said. “In my experience, the court system has been incredibly untrained in processing cases. There’s a huge disconnect and lack of knowledge.”
Brown urged parents and families to familiarize individuals with fire and police so it “will go better in an emergency situation.”
“It’s all about taking pro-active steps,” said Brown.
Chief Matt Irwin, of the Presque Isle Police Department, attended the morning session and found it to be an eye-opening experience.
“I was able to sit at the table with Steve Richard, director of the Central Aroostook Association. The training was much the same as Brown offers at the Academy,” said Irwin.
“Autism is more prevalent today than years past. It’s important for families to register their loved ones, so we have information in the event of an emergency. The database is capable of recording where the child was last found, include notes from caretakers about where the individual is likely to go,” said Irwin.
Irwin said every minute trying to obtain information rather than having it on hand could make all the difference in the world.
“It speeds up the search. It’s good to have these questions answered,” said Irwin.
He said this is the second such training on the matter that’s been held in Aroostook that he can recall.
“The Aroostook Chiefs (Association) had a speaker here in the past. The issue was recognized then but continues to be a matter of importance; the need for training like this continues,” said Irwin.
For more information on registering, contact your local law enforcement office. For more information on the Aroostook Autism Support group, visit their Facebook page.